1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to surgical drainage support devices, and more particularly to a neck sling to be worn by a postoperative patient for supporting one or more post-surgical fluid drainage collection reservoir bulbs or other medical devices.
2. Background Art
Following certain types of surgery, especially surgery involving the removal of tissue, the resulting body cavity may fill with fluid. Examples of such surgery include mastectomies and lumpectomies with auxiliary nodal dissection, which involved removal of lymph nodes under the arm. To relieve swelling and infection that may occur if the fluid is left in the body, one end of a drainage tube, which may be two feet long or longer, is inserted through the surgical incision into the cavity and is normally sutured, or stitched directly to the skin at the surgery site, and the other end of the drainage tube is attached to a post-surgical fluid drainage bulb or plastic bottle receptacle for collecting the fluid. Such drainage bulbs, also known as bulb drains or suction reservoirs, are capable of creating a negative pressure in the body cavity to facilitate drainage and hold the skin against the muscle until it heals. Some postoperative procedures require multiple tubes and drainage bulbs. Depending on the surgery and the amount of fluid buildup expected, the number of drainage tubes and receptacles utilized can vary from as few as one to many. However, when many drainage tubes are utilized, the managing of the tubes and their associated receptacles pose certain problems. In the past, it was common to pin the receptacles to the clothing or gown worn by the patient or to the bandage for the incision itself.
While not very comfortable, this procedure is somewhat effective in the hospital where an open gown was worn, thereby easing the ability of the patient to accommodate basic bodily functions. Furthermore, the awkwardness and discomfort is increased with multiple sets of bottles and tubes. In addition, outside of the hospital, where patients wear standard, relatively constricting clothes, it is not practicable to use such means to support drain bulbs. With the advent of insurance company mandates on shorter hospital stays for many types of surgeries, the problems associated with supporting drain bulbs have become more prevalent.
It is not uncommon for a postoperative patient to come home with four or more suction reservoir bulbs pinned to their clothing or post surgical dressings. For example, the plastic tabs or loops of the drain bulbs may be pinned directly to a wide elastic band wrapped around the patient's chest. In order to shower, this patient must first unpin the bulbs and then remove the elastic band. At this point there is nothing to attach the bulbs to and the patient or an assistant may be required to hold the bulbs and tubes in their hands while the patient attempts to shower, which is extremely cumbersome and runs the risk of dropping the bulbs.
Others have attempted to overcome these problems by providing belts or harnesses that encircle the chest area or the waist of a postoperative patient to support fluid drainage receptacles. While these devices may resolve some of the problems associated with supporting post operative drainage receptacle, they are not particularly comfortable after being worn for extended periods of time, can irritate the skin, and due to their structure cannot effectively support a plurality of drainage bulbs at locations adjacent to the body of the wearer to allow easy access and avoid tangling of the drainage tubes.
Turner, U.S. Pat. No. 5,643,233 discloses a post-surgical drainage carrier for carrying a post-surgical drainage container used for draining fluids from patients after surgery. The post-surgical drainage carrier includes a pouch and a belt. The pouch includes a front pouch sidewall and a back pouch sidewall. The front pouch sidewall terminates at a pouch lip which is interconnected with a pouch extension at first and second lip attachment points which may extend downwardly and inwardly to open a pouch mouth for placing the drainage container within the pouch interior.
Watson et al, U.S. Pat. No. 6,152,915 discloses a drain tube belt and shower pack kit. The drain tube belt is a strap that fits around the abdomen and has a pouch pocket for receiving the drain tube and the collection bulb. The kit also includes a separate second receptacle for holding the collection bulb by itself. The second receptacle is a bag-like pouch formed of mesh for receiving the collection bulb and has a loop handle at the open top end which can be held by the patient, or the handle may be attached to a shower curtain rod or hung on a plumbing fixture such as a faucet.
Ekey, U.S. Pat. No. 6,270,485 discloses a post surgical drainage receptacle support system that includes an adjustable belt and a plurality of pouches for individually receiving a drainage receptacle. A loop is provided on the back of the pouch for slidably receiving the belt, so that the pouch may be positioned directly underneath or directly above an insertion point for the drainage tubes.
Russo, U.S. Pat. No. 6,296,164 discloses a medical device holder that includes a strap for attachment to a patient, and one or more pouches attached to the strap, each pouch including a front layer and a back layer that forms a pocket for receiving a medical device such as a drainage bulb or feeding tube, and a first fastener fixedly attached to an inner surface of the front layer to attach the front layer to the back layer to secure the medical device in the pouch.
Ruess, U.S. Pat. No. 6,511,467 discloses a bib-like drainage reservoir garment having a front panel with an interior and exterior surface, and may have a back panel adjoined at a shoulder line to the front panel, and has a head/neck aperture positioned on or adjacent to the shoulder line, and a plurality of pockets attached to the interior surface of at least one of the front panel and the back panel for holding drainage reservoir bulbs.
Hadley-Fruit, U.S. Pat. No. 6,524,288 discloses a drainage reservoir support assembly that includes at least one generally cylindrical cup-like container having an open top end for receiving and containing the reservoir of a medical drainage device. A strap is provided for removably supporting the container from the neck of a user. The strap includes a first end and a second end with each of the ends of the strap being mounted on a peripheral wall of the container such that the strap forms a loop.
Prody, U.S. Pat. No. 6,610,032 discloses a surgical drainage apparatus that includes a belt which extends about the waist of a patient and is secured at a selected tightness thereon, the securing device being adjustable as to tightness. An outside surface of the belt has plural spaced apart elongate hook and loop fasteners aligned with a longitudinal axis of the belt, each of the fasteners comprising a first attachment element integral with the outside surface of the belt, and a second attachment element permanently fastened at one end of the first attachment element for receiving a fluid storing bulb having an inlet nipple adapted for receiving a fluid conduit for conducting a bodily fluid into the bulb, and an outlet nipple adapted for expulsing the fluid collected. A stopper, temporarily seals the outlet nipple when it is not in use. An attachment band provides a loop adapted for receiving one of the second attachment elements for engaging the fluid storing bulb with the belt within reach of a person wearing the belt. A fluid conduit engages the inlet nipple of the fluid storing bulb at one end, and at the other end, the source of the bodily fluid.
Urbina et al, U.S. Published Patent Application 20060173427 discloses a post operative breast surgery drain support garment including a form fitting vest-like support structure and one or more pouches attached to the front of the support structure, each of which is adapted in size and shape so as to form fittingly receive and maintain therein a single drainage receptacle. A drainage tube passes through drainage tube openings defined in the garment and retaining members are releasably mounted to the support structure and extend across at least a portion of the drainage tube openings to retain the drainage tube against the body thereby minimizing uncomfortable tugging.
The present invention overcomes the aforementioned problems, and is distinguished over the prior art devices, by a lightweight comfortable support sling which is supported around the back of the neck and shoulders of postoperative patients that supports one or multiple drainage bulbs or receptacles at locations adjacent to the body of the wearer to allow easy access and avoid tangling and stress on the drain tubes, and which can be worn under clothing. The sling is adjustable in length and, while still having the drainage bulbs attached, can be separated in the middle and easily removed from the patient's neck to relieve pressure, then re-fastened for ambulation. The sling is capable of supporting ten or more drainage bulbs.